Chapter 27 #2
I could have done without someone else knowing about Dominic entertaining offers, but at least he hadn’t gotten the whole Violet fiasco out of me. The less people who knew about that the better.
I stood and grabbed another set of plates to add to my barbell. I slid the plates onto the bar and got into position, preparing for another set. I lifted and—
“Now,” Liam said, his tone amused, “tell me what happened between you and Violet in Singapore.”
Son of a bitch. I glared at him as the bar slipped from my hands and crashed to the mat.
“Thought you wanted me to focus on training.”
“I do,” he said easily. “Which is why I’m giving you a chance to get this out of your system now instead of pretending you’re fine and driving like an absolute wanker in Austin.”
A muscle ticked in my cheek.
“Nothing happened.”
His brows lifted.
I scowled. “Nothing that concerns you.”
“Right.” He nodded, like I’d just confirmed everything he already knew. “So, you didn’t sleep with her.”
I tensed.
Liam grinned. “Oh, mate. That was way too slow.”
I scrubbed a hand down my face. “Fuck off.”
“That bad, huh?” He chuckled, cocking his head, studying me with critical eyes.
I stared at the floor, the weight rack, anything but him.
“Or that good.”
“You’re a dickhead, you know that?”
“Yeah,” Liam said, completely unfazed. “And you’re avoiding the question.”
What use was it denying it at this point? The fuck would just point blank ask Violet next and then I’d have to suffer through him recounting how she’d told the story of my rejection.
“She called it a mistake.”
That wiped the amusement clean off his face.
Liam let out a low whistle. “Shit.”
“Yeah.”
He crossed his arms, shaking his head. “Wow. That’s… wow. I mean, you’re you. That never happens to you.”
“Yeah, thanks for that.”
Liam’s grin faltered. “So what, she just said ‘that was a mistake, let’s pretend it never happened’ and walked off?”
I swallowed hard. “Pretty much.”
“Shit.” He stared at me, his mouth popping open in shock. “You care, don’t you?”
I didn’t answer.
Which was an answer.
His eyes widened. “Oh my God, you actually care.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I don’t know what to do.”
He nodded slowly. “Alright. Well, if you want my completely unsolicited advice, you have two options: let it go, or make her see she’s wrong.”
I scowled at him. “Yeah? And how the fuck do I do that?”
Liam dragged a hand down his face, considering. “Dunno. Never been in love with my nanny before.”
I groaned, tipping my head back, eyes on the ceiling. “You’re fucking useless.”
“I’m fucking brilliant,” he said, “but you’re the one who’s useless right now. You think too much, mate. That’s your problem.”
My head snapped forward. I scowled at him. “That’s the problem? Not the part where she’s actively avoiding me like I’ve got a contagious disease?”
It had been awkward since Singapore. Three days, and she’d barely looked at me and hadn’t said more than two words to me unless it was about Hazel.
“Yeah. ’Cause if she really wanted nothing to do with you, she’d have quit. Packed up, left a note on the counter, vanished into thin air.” He slapped me on the shoulder, getting far too excited now. “But she’s still there. She’s still looking after Hazel.”
“She needs the job,” I muttered.
Liam hummed. “That can’t be the only reason.”
I wanted to agree. Wanted to believe it. It would be easier than letting my mind wander to the alternative.
“But she’s still there.”
I shot him a look. “You already said that.”
“Yeah, and I’m saying it again because you’re not listening to me.
” He tilted his head. “She. Didn’t. Leave.
She’s still sleeping in your spare room, still taking care of Hazel, still navigating your disaster of a life.
If she really believed what happened was a mistake, wouldn’t it be easier for her to do the bare minimum?
Clock in, clock out, never get too close? ”
I rubbed a hand down my face, feeling the pull of exhaustion deep in my bones. “That’s exactly what she’s doing.”
“Is it?” Liam leaned in, his expression sharp now. “Or is she trying so hard to pretend it didn’t happen because it did mean something?”
I shook my head. “This isn’t a fucking race. I can’t just study her data, tweak the setup, and make the car work.”
His mouth twitched. “Yeah, except… maybe you can.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
He shrugged. “You said it yourself, you’re driving like you’ve never seen a braking marker before. If something’s off in the car, what do you do?”
“I run the data. Look for the problem.”
“Exactly.” He jabbed a finger in my direction.
Exactly what? None of this made sense.
“What’s the actual problem here? ’Cause it’s not just that she’s avoiding you. It’s not even that she thinks it was a mistake. The real issue, the thing screwing with your head, is that you don’t think it was.”
I swallowed hard, forcing my gaze to the floor.
Because he was right.
It hadn’t been a mistake. Not to me.
And that was the part I didn’t know how to fix. Because if she wasn’t willing to see it, if she wasn’t even open to considering it, then what? What the fuck was I supposed to do?
He let the silence stretch, giving me space to admit what he already knew. He didn’t need words to read me. He never had.
Eventually, he sighed. “Alright, so here’s the real question.” He grabbed his water bottle, spinning the cap loose with one hand. “You gonna drive around with a broken front wing all season, or are you gonna box and fix the damn thing?”
A sharp ache settled somewhere behind my ribs.
I shot him a sharp look. “It’s not that simple.”
“Nothing ever is.” He drained half the bottle before wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. “But that doesn’t mean you do nothing. You always fight for what you want,” Liam said, voice quieter now. “Why aren’t you fighting for her?”
I swallowed, my throat dry. I didn’t know how to fight for her.
What the fuck was I meant to do? Sit her down and ask nicely for her to admit to feelings she wasn’t willing to face? Pretend like words would fix something that only ever made sense when she wasn’t speaking at all?
Because that was the thing, wasn’t it?
She always resisted me… until she didn’t.
I just needed to remind her that when it was just us, no overthinking, no second-guessing, no fear, we worked.
She didn’t have to say it. She didn’t have to admit a damn thing.
I’d take her breath before she had the chance.
“Just think about it,” he said. “And in the meantime, get your shit together before you ruin Austin for yourself.”